Vertical Profiles of Pollution Particle Concentrations in the Boundary Layer above Paris (France) from the Optical Aerosol Counter LOAC Onboard a Touristic Balloon

Abstract

Atmospheric pollution by particulate matter represents a significant health risk and needs continuous monitoring by air quality networks that provide mass concentrations for PM10 and PM2.5 (particles with diameter smaller than 10 μm and 2.5 μm, respectively). We present here a new approach to monitor the urban particles content, using six years of aerosols number concentration measurements for particles in the 0.2−50 μm size range. These measurements are performed by the Light Optical Aerosols Counter (LOAC) instrument onboard the tethered touristic balloon “Ballon de Paris Generali”, in Paris, France. Such measurements have allowed us first to detect at ground a seasonal variability in the particulate matter content, due to the origin of the particles (anthropogenic pollution, pollens), and secondly, to retrieve the mean evolution of particles concentrations with height above ground up to 150 m. Measurements were also conducted up to 300 m above ground during major pollution events. The vertical evolution of concentrations varies from one event to another, depending on the origin of the pollution and on the meteorological conditions. These measurements have shown the interest of performing particle number concentrations measurements for the air pollution monitoring in complement with regulatory mass concentrations measurement, to better evaluate the intensity of the pollution event and to better consider the effect of smallest particles, which are more dangerous for human health.